Ensilage-harvester.



(LC. GRAY.

BNSILAGE HARVESTBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1914.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

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, Tl Q Q ah. o m m H h..\ v J 8% n TQ %\m b X Wsvww w n Q\ kw um I KM Qk g a li a O. G. GRAY. ENSILAGE HARVBSTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1914. 1, 1 21,993, Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

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UNITED STATES Pa a cm 0. GRAY, or wArnKo-nnrn, omo.

nnsmsen-nnavnsraa v Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22 1 91.4.

mum ales June 6, mm. Serial no. 853,342.

- To all whom z't'may concern;

- in. the same machine. and by successiveopera- .ofFi 1;. Fig. 3 is a section on .Fig.

tions.

The invention has for an object to present a novel. and. improved. structure whereby the stalkis' carried rearwardly from the harvest-' ing cutter in a substantially. vertical position and then turned into a substantially horizontal position in order to introduce the butt end thereof to an ensilage cutter.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the. novel features thereof set forth in the; appended claims.

In the. drawings-Figure 1 is a plan of the harvester; Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 line. 3-3 of dlagram showing the diagram of a ;'Fig. 4 isa operation; and Fig. 5 is a modified form.

Like numerals of reference refer to like ts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

The inventioncis applicable to any construction of harvester but for the purpose of illustration is shown in connection with an ordinary structure of corn harvester, m which the numeral 10 indicates. the'guides or shield boards su ported in the usual manner. Transverse y of these guides the harvesting cutter 11 is disposed to cut the stalks at the butts thereof. Coiiperating with this cutter and extending rearwardly therefrom are. the elevating conveyers 1 13. and 14 which ma COIHPHSG the ordinary lug chains.'- These c sins are driven from a shaft 15 having a sprocket 16 for each chain. Idler rockets 17 are provided at the upper ends 0 the chains and idlers 18 at the lower ends of chains 13 and 14.

The conveyer chains carry the stalks rear.- wardly in a substantially vertical position and deliver the same to a traveling vey'er 19 disposed at an angle thereto and in p G. Gear, citizen of. the United States, residing at cona plane. below the chainsso. was .to engage the butts-of the. stalks and carry them in the direction of travel of the conveyer. This throws the stalk into. a substantially horizontal position upon the conveyer and introduces the butts, thereof into the feed rolls 20 ofthe ensilag'e cutter 21. This cutter may be of any desired construction, for instance, tylmder having the knives 22- as shown, which coiiperate with thecutter plate. 23. A- feed table 24 is located between the conveyor 19 and the feed rolls. An inclined elevator 25 of any preferred structure extends be- I neath the ensiiage cutter and delivers atits upper end to a wagon or other receptacle 2.6.

The conveyer .19 is preferably of endless. construction and provided at its outer side with a guard wall 27flto retain. the stalks in proper position.

At receivmg end of the conveye an inclined supporting .Wall 28 is provided with its lower portion 29- at 'a different angle. As the butts of the stalks are drawn by the conveyer toward the ensilage cutter the tops. fall back upon this sup orting wall an are thus gulded into a orizontal position upon the conveyer, as shown in Fig. 4;.

Any suitable driving means and connections may be used for operating the-several arts. In this instance a motor 30 is shown aving its shaft 31 geared at 32 to the shaft 33 of the ensilage cutter 21. This shaft, is also rovided. with a geared connection at. 34 wrth the shaft 35 of one of the feed rolls. The motor shaft 31 has also thereon a gear 36 meshing with the idler 37 which in turn meshes with a gear 38 on] the countershaft 39. This carries a bevel ear40 meshing with a similar gear 41 on the cross shaft. {l2 which carries bevel gears coiiperating gears 44 on the shafts 15 which are disposed at each side of theline of feed 2 of the material. The shaft 39' is rovided 43 meshing with In the operation of the invention the stalk to be harvested is first cut at its butt end and thence carried rearwardly in a substantially vertical position and discharged upon the angularly disposed conveyor which. engages;

the butt of the. stalk and turns it'- into a substantia'lly horizontal positionupon the conveyr with the buttiend thereof traveling forward into the feed rolls of the'ensilage cutter where it is reduced to the desired size and delivered by the elevator into a wagon for transportation directly to a silo or other storage place. This obviates the transportation of the bulky stalks and the use of a separate 'ensilage cutter and-provides for a complete and continuous operation in a single machine.

The structure presented is simple and very eflicient and economical in manufacture. It avoids the difliculties encountered in introducing the stalk into the ensilage cutter in a vertical position and provides a support for the entire length of the stalk as it is fed to the ensilage cutter which efl'ects a straight feed and produces the most eificient results. It also permits the use of the machine for two or more rows ofstalks by a proper extension of the conveyer belt, as shown by the modification in Fig. 5, where two sets of conveyer chains 47 are used and discharged at different points upon a traveling belt 48 which delivers to the feed rolls49 and ensilage cutter 50. The parts are similar in construction and operation to those hereinbefore .described and are driven by any suitable connections, for instance, the conveyer belt is shown in Fig. 3 as driven by a chain and sprocket gearing 51 from-one of the feed rolls, while the discharging ele-,

' vator has a similar gearing 52 from the driven belt roll to a roll of the elevator. For the purpose of permitting the operation of the ensilage cutter independently of the harvester, a clutch 53 is provided on countershaft 39. v

What I claim is 1. In a harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks in a substantially vertical position rearwardly from said cutter, a secondary cutter, and moving means operating transversely to the path of travel of said conveying means for turning said stalks from a vertical into a substantially horizontal position and introducing the butt ends thereof to said secondary c utter.. I

2. In a harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks in a substantially vertical position rearwardly from said cutter, a secondary cutter, and means 7 extending parallel to said harvesting cutter and transversely to the path of travel of said conveying means across the delivery end thereof for turning said stalks from a vertical into a substantially horizontal position and introducing the butt ends thereof to said secondary cutter.

' time harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter,means-for conveying stalks therefrom in a substantiall vertical position, an encutter, an a traveling conveyor dis! transversel to the path of travelof and beneath "sai conveying means at the discharge end thereof to engagethe butts of said stalks and introduce them to said ensilage cutter. v 4. In aharvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks therefrom in a substantially vertical position, an ensilage cutter, a traveling conveyer disposed transversely to the path of travel of said conveying means at the discharge end thereof and delivering to said ensilagecutter, and an inclined supporting wall at the receiving end of said traveling conveyer.

5. In a harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks therefrom in a substantially vertical position, an ensilage cutter, a traveling conveyer di osed transversely conveying means at the discharge end there of and delivering to said ensilage cutter, an inclined supporting wall at the receiving end of said traveling conveyer, and an in,- clined guard wall at the outer side of said traveling conveyer. Y.

6. In a harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks therefrom in a substantially vertical position, an ensilage cutter, discharge end of said conveying means and transversely to the path of travel thereof to engage the butts of the stalks and dispose v the latter upon said belt, and means for feeding the stalks buttfirst from said belt to said cutter.

7; In a harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks therefrom in a substantially vertical position, an endless belt located at the discharge end of said conveying means and transversely to the path of travel thereof to engage the butts of the stalks and dispose the latter upon said belt parallel with its travel, an ensilage cutter, and feed rolls to feed from said belt to said cutter I '8. In a harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks therefrom in a substantially vertical position, an end less belt located at the discharge end of said conveying means and transversely to the path of travel thereof to engage the butts of the stalks and dispose the latter u on said belt parallel with its travel, an ensil ge cutter, feed rolls to feed from said belt to said ensilage cutter, an elevator extending beneath said ensilage cutter, a motor having a'driving connection for said ensilage cutter, and a drivin connection from said ensilage cutter to sai feed rolls.

9. In a harvesting machine, a harvesting cutter, means for conveying stalks therefrom ina substantially verticalposition, an endless belt located at the discharge end of said conveying means and path "of travelthereof to en age the butts of the" and dispose the atterupon said bent parallel with its travel, an ensilage cutto the path of travel 0 said an endless belt located at the transversely to the ter, feed rolls to feed from said belt to said ensiiage cutter, an elevator extending beneath said ensilage cutter, a motor having a driving connection for said ensilage cutter, a driving connection from said ensilage cutter to said feed rolls, a countershaft geared to said motor, a driving connection from said countershaft to said conveying means,

and a driving connection from said countershaft to said harvesting cutter.

Witnesses:

J. A. STOUGHTON, A. E. HAYES.

I aflix my signature sses.

CARL C.- GRAY. 

